2023-07-06 08:45:32
The riots in France, which erupted following the killing of a seventeen-year-old teenager by a policeman, strained the relationship between the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, and the law enforcement authorities in his country, some of whose officials considered that the statements of the resident of the Elysee Palace had weakened the “justice system in the country” and his ability to work independently away from political calculations and interests.
Macron had gone to a police station in Paris on Tuesday night to thank the officers deployed to quell the riots, but if he had expected the visit to ease recent tensions with law enforcement, he was likely disappointed, according to the newspaper.Financial Times” British.
The French authorities warned once morest circulating misleading news. archival
According to observers, many police officers were unhappy with Macron’s statements following the spread of a video clip documenting the shooting of the boy, Nael, in which he said that the death of that teenager was “inexplicable and unforgivable”, at a time when it was not Official investigations into the incident are still ongoing.
“Today the police have completely lost faith in the president,” said Gregory Goron, who heads Force Ouvriere, the second largest police trade union.
“(Macron’s words) have eroded the justice system’s ability to act independently,” Goron added in a press interview.
“hordes of savages”
According to some analyzes, Macron’s statements were a risky move, as the police force is one of the most powerful institutions in France, and therefore the authorities always need it to defuse the anger and protests in the streets, which the country used to witness on many occasions.
In response to the French president’s stances, the police themselves have taken ever more extreme positions, with their two largest unions issuing a fiery statement this week saying stronger action was needed to combat the “hordes of savages” and “scourges” caused by the riots. and those responsible for it.
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The statement added, echoing statements issued by the maximum parties, the statement: “The police today are in a battle because we are in a state of war.”
Criticism of law enforcement authorities has always been a taboo among the political class because of the role they play in responding to many terrorist attacks since 2015, as well as other periods of social unrest, especially in Macron’s past and current terms, such as the “yellow jackets” protests and protests once morest amendments to the regime. retirement in the country.
Macron’s government has expanded police powers, including increased use of drones and surveillance cameras and allowing closer tracking of mosques suspected of harboring extremists.
“The president has always been supportive of law enforcement,” said a government official, adding that the police budget had also increased.
Criticism of the use of “excessive force”
However, left-wing politicians and human rights groups and institutions such as the Council of Europe have questioned the tactics and culture of the French police.
Earlier this year, during protests over pension reform, a United Nations official urged French police to avoid “excessive force”, and the European Union’s human rights watchdog attacked the crackdown.
To disperse crowds and control protests, French police are relying on tear gas, stun grenades and so-called LBD guns, which fire rubber bullets – tactics that rights activists describe as extremely violent.
The French police also received another barrage of criticism following the killing of Nael Marzouk, who is of North African origin.
“This is a defining moment for the country to address the deep issues of racism and ethnic discrimination during law enforcement operations,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, at a news conference in Geneva on Friday.
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On the other hand, the recent controversy also centered on a law passed in 2017 that expanded the conditions under which traffic police can use lethal force to shoot fleeing motorists.
Police unions have long pressed for change, but at the time the Defender of Rights, an independent governing body, warned it would make the rules more confusing.
The coalition of “left-wing Nubians” in the French parliament called for the immediate repeal of the law, which it accused the police of interpreting as a “license to kill.”
For the time being, such a policy response does not appear to be on the cards.
Macron’s government has described the killing of Marzouk, who prosecutors said was driving without a license and committing traffic violations, as an isolated incident rather than an incident of racism.
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But in a rare move, the officer involved in the shooting was arrested and preliminary charges of “intentional murder” were filed once morest him.
Many young Arabs and blacks living in lower-income suburbs say they face discrimination from the police.
A report published in 2017 found that young people from minority backgrounds were 20 times more likely to be stopped for identity checks than the rest of the country’s population.
Despite all of the aforementioned, popular support for the police has not diminished. A recent poll showed that 71 percent express confidence in the police, despite little support from youth and some left-wing groups in France.
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